Improved water-wheel



UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

SAMUEL REYNOLDS, OF OSVEGO, NEV YORK.

IMPROVED WATER-WHEEL.

To all whom t may concern:-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL REYNOLDS, of

the city and county of Oswego, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Water-Wheels; and I do herebydeclare that the same are described and represented in the followingspecification and drawings.`

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my improvements, Iwill proceed to describe their construction and use, referring to thedrawings, in which the same letters i11- dicate like parts in each ofthe figures.

Figure l is a plan of the wheel and scroll surrounding it, the cover ofthe wheel being omitted. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the float or bucketH', Fig. l being omitted so as to show the whole of the outlet of thebucket or iioat .II next beyond it. This figure also shows a section ofthe scroll on the line Z Z 'of Fig. l.

The nature of my invention and improvements in water-wheels consists inarranging a series of radial iioats above a horizontal plane, incombination with a series of floats or buckets arranged below saidplane, made narrowest where they join the radial float-s, and graduallyincreasing in width outward and in depth downward, with an inclinationtoward the center to their terminations, so as to make the outletordischarge deeper toward the center than toward the periphery.

In the above-mentioned drawings the scroll which supplies the wheel withwater is represented at A. Its interior height may be the same as thedepth of the perpendicular radial floats, and its width graduallydiminished to its termination, where it joins the beginning, as shown inthe drawings by dotted lines in Fig. l.

B is the shaft of the wheel, which may be iitted to turn in appropriatebearings or boxes. To this shaft the center or hub C is fitted andfastened tirmlyin some convenient manner, so as to support and sustainthe perpendicular radial floats E E, which are fastened to the hub C andto the circular horizontal plane F, as shown in the drawings. Thishorizontal plane F does not extend in from the periphery any fartherthan the arcs G G, Fig. l, leaving open spaces between the arcs and thehub C, over the lioats or buckets II H, on which the water descends andpasses out under the radial iioats E E. The buckets H H are madenarrowest where they join the floats E E, as shown in the drawings,gradually increasing in width outwardly, as shown by the arcs G G, anddescending, as shown by the lines I I, Fig. 2, with an inclination fromthe outer part downward toward the center to their termination under thenext radial iioat,

making the outlet or discharge deeper toward the center than towardtheperiphery at J, Fig. 2. The horizontal plane F is made to turn freely inthe lower casingof the scroll, and the cover K extends entirely over thewheel and rests on the upper casing of the scroll, as shown in section,Fig. l, to which it may be fastened. f.

'Ihe wheel having been constructed as above described, the water passesinto the scroll A at M, as indicated by the arrows, and acts upon theradial tloats E nearly at right angles to the plane of their surface.Itthen descends and acts by its weight on the buckets, which slip outfrom under it while it is reacting against the arcs G G, so that thewhole force or momentum of the water is more fully communicated to thewheel and its power made more available than it would be if applied uponany other wheel. i

I contemplate that wheels with my improvements maybe made best andcheapest by casting them whole, of iron or other metals, and if thewheels are of large size the iioats may be joined to a cylinder, whichmay be connected to the hub or shaft by arms or a plate of metal; also,that the radial iioats may be covered by a plate cast with the wheelextending out over them, so as to dispensewith the cover K, or a ringmay be made and fastened to the scroll, extending in toward the shaftfar enough to cover the radial iioats.

Some of theadvantages of this improved wheel are, first, it gives alarger per cent. of useful effect than any other. It runs as well underwater as out, and gives a better per cent. of effectif the whole headand fall is measured in each case. The draft-box` can be applied to thiswheel with equal facility and elfect as to other wheels, so as to securethe benefit of the whole head and' fall where it is inconvenient to setthe wheel under water. It runs steady and maintains its steadinesswithout loss of useful edect. It maintains its per cent. of effect whenrunning above or below its proper velocity. It is adapted to high or lowfalls, and is not liable to be obstructed by grass, anchor ice, or othersubstances, is very cheap, and needs Very litl describedthat is,narrowest where they join tle repairing.

I believe I have described and represented my improvements inWater-Wheels so as to enable any person skilled in the arts to make anduse them. I will now specify what I desire to secure by Letters Patent.

I claim- The radial iioats above the horizontal plane,

i Lin combination with the buckets or floats below said plane,constructed substantially as the radial floats, gradually increasing inWidth outwardly and in depth downward, with an inclination toward thecenter to their termination, making the outlet to discharge the Waterdeeper toward the center than toward the periphery.

' SAMUEL REYNOLDS. Witnesses:

J. DENNIS, Jr., JOHN S. HoLLINGsHEAD.

